‘Candide’ tops D.C.’s Hayes Awards

Ties with 'Oklahoma!' for top musical trophy

“It’s a tie” were the three most frequently uttered words during Monday night’s Helen Hayes Awards presentations, the D.C. theater community’s annual celebration of the preceding year’s legit offerings.

Honors for top resident musical were shared by Arena Stage’s “Oklahoma!” and the Shakespeare Theater Company’s “Candide,” while the year’s top resident play award went to Woolly Mammoth Theater’s “Clybourne Park” and the Folger Theater’s production of “Hamlet.”

“Candide,” the STC’s co-production with Chicago’s Goodman Theater, was the most feted production of the night with five Hayes kudos including for director Mary Zimmerman, set designer Daniel Osting and lead actress Lauren Molina. “Oklahoma!” took four awards including Parker Esse’s choreography and George Fulginiti-Shakar’s musical direction. The tuners again shared honors for outstanding lead actor for Geoff Packard of “Candide” and Nicholas Rodriguez of “Oklahoma!”

Touring play “Thurgood” at the Kennedy Center was judged the year’s top non-resident production, while Laurence Fishburne was named top non-resident actor.

Since the Hayes awards honor productions mounted the preceding year, winners seldom get a direct B.O. boost from them, but this year Arena and Woolly Mammoth have coincidentally scheduled summertime remountings of their popular stagings of “Oklahoma!” and “Clybourne Park.” The racially diverse production of “Oklahoma!” is said to have attracted interest as a possible Broadway transfer, while the gentrification theme of Pulitzer-winner “Park” has struck a chord with D.C. auds.

“Park” was staged by Woolly a.d. Howard Shalwitz, who shared the director award with Paata Tsikurishvili at Scenetic Theater. In addition, Graham Hamilton’s perf of Hamlet at the Folger earned him a shared award for actor in a resident play with Johnny Ramey of “Superior Donuts” at the Studio Theater.

Also at the ceremony, a U.S. Postal Service exec unveiled a commemorative stamp in honor of D.C. native Hayes. The Hayes org will rebrand itself slightly in June, including a new name, in an effort to emphasize its numerous non-awards activities including promotion, education, advocacy and professional development. Name of the annual awards event will not be changed, per a Hayes spokesman.